February 16, 2022
Everything You Need to Know About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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If you know someone who has been consulting with a psychologist, you probably heard them mention CBT at some point. CBT, which stands for cognitive behavioral therapy, is a form of therapy that helps individuals manage their problems by changing the way they think and believe.
The therapy is commonly used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. No wonder, many experts consider it as the gold standard of psychotherapy.
What Is CBT?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, and actions are all interconnected. It aims to help you recognize and explore the ways your thoughts and feelings can affect your actions. As soon as you notice these patterns, you can start learning how to reframe your thoughts more positively.
The end goal of CBT is to teach people that while they can’t control every aspect of the environment around them, they can take control of how they handle these things by changing their mindset.
Unlike most therapy approaches, CBT doesn’t pay attention to the past. Instead, it focuses on present-day challenges and issues. It is a problem-specific, goal-oriented approach where individuals need to get involved actively.
Usually, a CBT course consists of several sessions. The therapy can be in the form of individual or group sessions.
How Does CBT Work?
Cognitive behavioral therapy normally involves four steps:
- You point out the troubling situations in your life.
Your therapist will ask you about the things that are stressing you lately — whether they involve relationship issues, a medical condition, anger, grief, or symptoms of a mental disorder. Since CBT is a collaborative approach, both you and your therapist will spend time deciding what goals and problems you need to focus on.
- You become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about these problems.
After identifying the problems to work on, your therapist will ask you to openly share how you feel about them. You may be encouraged to interpret the meaning of a situation or share your beliefs about yourself, other people, and significant events in your life.
- You identify negative thinking.
Next, your therapist will help you recognize patterns of thinking and behavior that might be causing your problem. They will ask you to focus on your physical and emotional responses in certain situations.
- You reshape negative thinking.
The final step might be the most difficult one. Here, your therapist will likely encourage you to reflect on whether your perception of a given situation is based on fact or just your perception of what’s going on. With consistent practice, however, you’ll be able to alter your thinking and behavior patterns.
Most Common CBT Techniques
Several techniques are used in cognitive behavioral therapy. Your therapist will work with you to determine the technique that’s most appropriate for you.
- Self-talk. Your therapist will ask what you tell yourself regarding an unpleasant situation. They will then challenge you to replace your critical or discouraging self-talk with constructive and uplifting self-talk.
- Guided discovery and questioning. You’ll share assumptions you have about yourself or your present situation, after which your therapist will guide you on how you can address these issues and consider other viewpoints.
- Cognitive restructuring. Your therapist will be looking at any cognitive distortions that affect your thoughts, such as catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, or jumping to conclusions.
- Situation exposure. In this technique, you’ll be listing down the things or situations that are causing you distress in the order of stress level they cause. You will be told to expose yourself to these situations slowly, until such time that you can finally handle them positively.
- Journaling involves jotting down your negative beliefs and replacing them with positive ones.
What Can CBT Help With?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat a vast range of mental health issues, such as the following:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Substance abuse
- Eating disorders
- Phobias
- Sexual disorders
CBT isn’t just for those who are suffering mentally. It can also help people who are suffering from:
- Breakup or divorce
- Serious medical illness
- Relationship conflicts
- Insomnia
- Low self-esteem
- General life stress
- Grief or loss
- Chronic pain
Get Involved in a Meaningful Cause
CBT has been proven effective in treating PTSD, depression, and anxiety. No wonder, this form of therapy is often used in treating veterans who are struggling emotionally and mentally.
Unfortunately, not every mentally troubled veteran has access to it. Moreover, many of our former service members are suffering from homelessness, unemployment, disabilities, and illnesses.
You can reach out to them by simply donating a vehicle you no longer need to us here at Veteran Car Donations. We will use your donation to improve the lives of the struggling veterans in your community while giving you the chance to enjoy a highly rewarding donating experience.
We’ll put your vehicle up for auction, with the proceeds going to our veteran-focused nonprofit partners. These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofits use the funding that we give them to sustain their delivery of financial assistance, free medical treatment, employment opportunities, housing assistance, family support, and other essential services to deserving veterans and their families.
You won’t go home empty-handed after making your donation. You’ll receive precious rewards such as the free and fast towing of your unwanted vehicle wherever you had it parked or stored anywhere in the country.
Your charitable contribution will also entitle you to receive the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season.
Perhaps more importantly, your act of charity will give you a feeling of intense satisfaction, knowing that you’ll be helping transform the lives of the hurting heroes residing in your community.
To learn more about Veteran Car Donations, including our quick and straightforward donation process, check out our FAQs page. If you have any questions or concerns, call us anytime through our toll-free hotline at 877-594-5822 or send us a message here.
Ready to Uplift the Lives of Our Hurting Heroes?
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It’s time to give back to our nation’s heroes who willingly risked their lives to protect ours. When you donate a vehicle to us, we will make sure that your gift will benefit them. Call Veteran Car Donations at 877-594-5822 or fill out our secure online donation form now!
Last Updated: May 8th, 2023